Chicago Blackhawks parade fetes Stanley Cup champions

“My dad died in February. We came to 2010. I’m not going to miss this. I had to be here,” he said.

The Blackhawks gave the city something to celebrate as the Cubs and White Sox grind through another lost summer. And fans took note.

“We love the Blackhawks. This is history and this is a championship, unlike the Cubs,” O’Kane said, taking a shot at a team that hasn’t won a World Series since 1908.

The franchise’s fifth Stanley Cup was the culmination of a banner season for the Blackhawks, who set an NHL record when they recorded at least one point in the first 24 games — half of the lockout-shortened schedule. They finished with the best record in the league.

The dramatic Game 6 victory in Boston sparked a raucous party in parts of Chicago. Fans poured out of bars after the thrilling finish and celebrated in the streets in the several neighborhoods.

Sarah Schmidt, 22, who grew up in Chicago and made the pilgrimage to Friday’s celebrations from Milwaukee, told her boss she was taking the day off no matter what. She hoped her bartending gig would still be there when the party was over.